Djokovic, Sharapova make semis at Indian Wells

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot to Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot to Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Ana Ivanovic, of Serbia, reacts during her match against Marion Bartoli, of France, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Ivanovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)— AP

Ana Ivanovic, of Serbia, reacts during her match against Marion Bartoli, of France, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Ivanovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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A trainer examines Marion Bartoli, of France, during a match against Ana Ivanovic, of Serbia, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Ivanovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)— AP

A trainer examines Marion Bartoli, of France, during a match against Ana Ivanovic, of Serbia, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Ivanovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Ana Ivanovic, of Serbia, reacts during her match against Marion Bartoli, of France, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Ivanovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)— AP

Ana Ivanovic, of Serbia, reacts during her match against Marion Bartoli, of France, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Ivanovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, celebrates after defeating Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)— AP

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, celebrates after defeating Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, reacts after defeating Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)— AP

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, reacts after defeating Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
/ AP

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot to Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)— AP

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot to Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
/ AP

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, reacts after defeating Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)— AP

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, reacts after defeating Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
/ AP

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, serves to Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)— AP

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, serves to Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, serves to Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)— AP

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, serves to Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, returns a shot to Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)— AP

Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, returns a shot to Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
/ AP

Novak Djokovic of Serbia, returns a shot to Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)— AP

Novak Djokovic of Serbia, returns a shot to Nicolas Almagro, of Spain, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Thursday, March 15, 2012, in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
/ AP

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. 
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic defeated Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-4, winning the final three games of the match to reach the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday.

Ana Ivanovic earned a spot in the women's semifinals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Marion Bartoli, the 16th-ranked Serb's second straight win over a top-10 player.

She will play Maria Sharapova, who needed more than three hours to subdue fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Kirilenko had won eight of nine 3-setters this year, but six double faults, including on match point, and weak second serves did her in.

American John Isner defeated Gilles Simon of France 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, setting up a semifinal against Djokovic.

"This is my first match on this court this year and I had to adjust," said Isner, who played his other matches on outer courts. "I didn't get too frustrated. I made a lot of mistakes, but he does that to a lot of players."

Sharapova broke Kirilenko three times in the final set, when Kirilenko's father-coach came on court with her trailing 4-0. The chair umpire turned him away because she didn't first ask permission. Kirilenko also was penalized a point for hindrance in the second set after she tapped her racket on the court three times during a point.

"It's one thing if you do it once, but I think she did it three or four times," Sharapova said. "It's not like a hockey puck or something. She forgot, I think, the sport."

Sharapova and Kirilenko needed 2 1-2 hours to split sets, with Kirilenko calling for a trainer early in the second set to have her ankle taped.

"I really felt like I could improve on so many things during the match and change things around," Sharapova said. "Little by little, I started doing those things better."

Sharapova fought off five break points to hold at 3-2 in the second set during a roll in which she won five straight games to lead 4-3. The women traded service games before Sharapova held at love to go up 6-5 and then she broke to close out the second set, 7-5, on Kirilenko's netted forehand.

"Little by little I started feeling better. Towards the end I really got my groove back," Sharapova said.

Defending champion Djokovic improved to 16-1 against Spanish opponents since the start of 2011, although Almagro made him work for it on another 80-degree day at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Almagro held with a backhand winner down the line to go up 4-3 in the second set.

Djokovic served at 40-love in the next game before Almagro rallied to reach deuce. Djokovic held, then broke Almagro in the next game and served out the match with a 40-love game that ended with his own backhand down the line.

"I didn't lose many points on my service games in both sets, and that's something that I have been working on. I have been trying to get more free points on the first serves," he said. "This obviously hasn't been my weapon in the past, so I tried to use my serve in the best possible way, and then it gives me more confidence for what's coming up after that."